Five Pawns E-Liquid Review

Five Pawns E-Liquid Intro

Five Pawns sent me an impressive package of eight liquids: the five juices that comprise their Insignia Series, plus three of their newest additions. All of FivePawns’ liquids are offered in a single size — 30ml glass bottles with glass droppers housed inside cardboard tubes — and are mixed at a 50/50 PG/VG ratio. That’s somewhat old school, given the move in vaping toward higher VG, but 5P juices are flavor bombs rather than cloud machines. The liquids themselves vary in color from almost clear through golden to a pale but rich amber. Each liquid has a recognizable and pleasing scent.

So, are 5P eliquids as amazing as their legions of hard-core fans claim, or is their premium price tag unjustified? Below are my capsule reviews of the eight bottles I was sent, which include my best attempts at objective description, as well as my more personal, subjective reactions:

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About Five Pawns

Five Pawns, based in the heart of the Southern California vaping scene, represented the pinnacle of the first wave of super-premium, artisan-boutique retail juicemakers, offering eliquids using proprietary flavorings (or so I hear). Five Pawns is both famous and notorious on the many online vaping forums — famous for its extraordinarily rich but refined eliquid flavor blends, and notorious for its prices: $27.50 for 30mls, with one juice (Castle Long Reserve) weighing in at a hefty $37.50. With free shipping and 10% off coupons, however, Five Pawns’ prices aren’t as astronomically high as some of its critics assert. Still, 5P eliquids at almost $1/ml are certainly not bargain-basement juices, nor are they intended to be. This is the high end of the retail eliquid market, and the owners of FivePawns very consciously chose that niche.

Every aspect of Five Pawns’ business strategy resonates with high-class intent, from the liquids themselves through their descriptions (which are both accurate and extremely well-written) to the presentation packaging, which is thorough, informative, and darn near corporate in tone. This is no Mom&Pop or fly-by-night operation. These folks are serious about their business.

[Note: I’d recommend lower wattage for the entire 5P lineup. They taste equally good in a tank or RDA, but these aren’t 80-watt liquids. While the flavors are rich, the mixes are too subtle and nuanced to hold up under the onslaught of massive power and high heat. So turn it down.]

Our E-Liquid Review

Gambit

Flavor Description

“The classic, mellow apple pie makes a sweet and savory impression with flaky crust and decadent caramel, lightened by a dollop of French vanilla ice cream and unsweetened whipped cream.”

Our Thoughts

OK, so Gambit doesn’t really taste like apple pie. That’s OK. No eliquid tastes like apple pie. What Gambit tastes like is reminiscent of apple pie, which is the same effect all pastry/dessert eliquids offer, to remind us of foods we love. And that’s fine, because we can’t eat pie all day long, but we can vape pie-flavored ejuice as long as we want, hour after hour, day-in and day-out.

I would love to write that Gambit is an amazing apple pie liquid. It’s not. It’s a middle-of-the-road, mildly acceptable facsimile, but a mere shadow of the real thing. This doesn’t imply that it’s bad, just that it doesn’t rise above the pack of other retail and DIY apple pie wanna-be juices. Yes, Gambit’s flavor is rich and delicious, well-blended, and never harsh or chemical-tasting (same as most 5P liquids), but apple pie? Nope. So buy some Gambit, vape it, and enjoy. Just don’t call it apple pie.

Keep in mind, however, that thousands of vapers who’ve left reviews of Gambit online disagree vehemently with my opinion. They all judge Gambit as the best apple pie eliquid ever. Who knows? Maybe they’re right.

Five Pawns Gambit E-Liquid

Castle Long

Flavor Description

“Our non-barrel aged version is a combination of the dark, refined spirit of Kentucky Bourbon, accented with toasted coconut, roasted almond, Madagascar vanilla bean, and laced with a caramelized brown sugar.”

Our Thoughts

Along with Gambit, Castle Long (and its high-class cousin, Castle Long Reserve, which is aged in oak barrels) are Five Pawns’ most well-known offerings. When I vape Castle Long, I can taste every flavor listed in the description. The various flavors don’t stand out as individual elements, however, since the recipe is extraordinarily well-blended. That’s the artful genius of Five Pawns’ juicemaster, to mix eliquids whose constituent flavor elements blend harmoniously into a sophisticated but singular overall flavor profile. Castle Long doesn’t “taste like” Kentucky Bourbon, but the essence of the bourbon comes through beautifully in the blend, along with coconut, almond, vanilla, and brown sugar. The overall flavor is ample, rich, and deep, but it speaks to the vaper’s palate with civility and refinement. This is, quite simply, an extraordinary eliquid; its stellar reputation is well-deserved.

Five Pawns Castle Long E-Liquid

Grandmaster

Flavor Description

Our Thoughts

Peanut butter and banana is a genre flavor combination in eliquid that runs the gamut — from in-your-face to nonexistent flavor, from natural-tasting to totally artificial, and from yummy to awful. 5P’s version emphasizes the creaminess factor (which is true of the entire 5P lineup), with depth of flavors mixed with skill and subtlety, and not a hint of artificiality at all. Grandmaster doesn’t scream either peanut butter or banana. In fact, it doesn’t scream at all. As usual, none of the flavors stands out. I can pick out the peanut butter and the banana cream, but the velvety caramel eludes me. I know it’s in there, however, making its contribution. The overall flavor experience is, for lack of a better term, soothing, like listening to a lullaby sung by someone who loves you. If you think you wouldn’t like a peanut butter and banana blend, think again. Grandmaster might just change your mind.

Five Pawns Grandmaster E-Liquid

Queenside

Flavor Description

“Delicate blood orange intensifies this citrus based flavor. Harmoniously blended with creamy French vanilla for a gentle and exquisite balance that will carry from one flavor to the next.”

Our Thoughts

Queenside represents a slight departure from the consistency of the rest of the 5P lineup — not in quality, mind you. The quality is every bit as high as in every other Five Pawns offering. No, the difference is in blood orange as the lead singer in the flavor combo. This blood orange flavor is very authentic and fairly bold. I wouldn’t go so far as to use the term “in your face,” but it has more impact than other 5P lead flavors. The French Vanilla adds the harmony of 5P’s characteristic creaminess, but doesn’t turn down the volume of the blood orange singing melody in the center-stage spotlight. As an orange-flavored eliquid blend, Queenside is very, very good, assuming you like that sort of orangey thing. I don’t, really, so it’s not for me personally.

Five Pawns Queenside E-Liquid

Bowden’s Mate

Flavor Description

“Inspired by the after-dinner mint, this flavorful chocolate is sharpened by crisp mint, ending with a touch of French Vanilla. Seductive yet soft, with a refreshing effervescent note.”

Our Thoughts

I haven’t had a gooey after-dinner Thin Mint for decades, much less a more substantial York Peppermint Pattie or Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. I have, however, tried numerous facsimiles of those treats in the form of vaping eliquids. Since I’m not partial to mint or menthol, these juice have had only limited success in delighting my particular palate. Also, chocolate is a very difficult flavor to get right in eliquids. Opening the bottle, Bowden’s Mate smells exactly like a thin mint. That’s a good sign. The first couple draws confirm what I imagined, however. To my palate, the mint is soft but strong. I don’t taste any menthol, but mint is definitely the primary flavor, with chocolate remaining in the background while the French Vanilla merely nips at the edges. One thing’s for sure — it certainly is refreshing. Once my taste buds adjusted after the initial rush of mint, vaping Bowden’s Mate over a couple of hours became a very pleasant experience. If you love mint, you’ll adore Bowden’s Mate.

Five Pawns Bowden's Mate E-Liquid

Symmetry Six

Flavor Description

“Sugared rhubarb and strawberries come together to be the shining stars in this complex and well balanced blend. Combining an oat grain and graham crumble with vanilla cream, this fruity yet savory blend is sure to satisfy both fruit and dessert lovers alike.”

Our Thoughts

Ah yes, Five Pawns’ offering from the very popular fruit-and-cereal genre. Symmetry Six is so complex and completely blended that I can’t pick out any of the individual flavors. I “sense” their presence in the flavor profile, but I can’t actually “find” any of them. All the individual elements are hints rather than bold statements. I find this to be the one 5P liquid where the complexity of flavors may work against the overall enjoyment. Symmetry Six is a nice, very vapeable juice, but nothing special, at least for me. Were I to alter the balance to better suit my personal preference, I’d kick up the fruit and turn down the cereal — more strawberry/rhubarb and less oat grain/graham/vanilla. Symmetry Six definitely benefits from lower wattage to protect the fruit flavors.

Five Pawns Symmetry E-Liquid

Black Flag Risen Original

Flavor Description

Our Thoughts

Coffee, cream, and chocolately nuts. Yum! All the flavors here are mild. The decaf cappuccino has no harshness at all, the truffle cream is refined, and the mocha dusted black walnut is delicious, but, as 5P states, only an accent. This is definitely no ordinary coffee with cream eliquid.

Five Pawns Black Flag Risen E-Liquid

Black Flag Risen Enriched

Flavor Description

Our Thoughts

This is 5P’s first foray into a tobacco blend, achieved by adding tobacco flavoring to Black Flag Original. I don’t know whether the tobacco element is a synthetic flavoring or natural tobacco extract, but it hardly matters. This juice would be ideal for a vaper who has recently quit smoking or is trying to quit by vaping. As someone who vaped a lot of tobacco and coffee juices over the first half of my five years of vaping, this juice takes me back, in a good way. I actually like the Enriched version more than Black Flag Risen Original, since the tobacco has a very clean Virginia taste and improves the flavor profile significantly. I probably wouldn’t vape a lot of either juice these days, but newer vapers might find this one indispensable. And very tasty.

Five Pawns Black Flag Risen Enriched E-Liquid

Verdict

For me, the big winners in the Five Pawns lineup are Castle Long, Gambit, Grandmaster, which are all terrific, plus the two Black Flag Risen variations, which are both equally nice. Queenside, Bowden’s Mate, and Symmetry Six, however, are not my particular cups of tea.

Personal preference aside, all Five Pawns liquids are high quality, deeply flavorful, and mostly very creamy. They were created by people who clearly know a thing or two about how to artfully mix flavorings. I daresay that DIY cloners would have a very hard time duplicating such unique blends.

As to whether Five Pawns eliquids are worth their somewhat elevated price tags, I’ll leave that up to each individual vaper to decide. Although the retail juice market is changing as new and more powerful hardware makes inroads, and the health concerns about Diketones gain traction, along with looming FDA regulations, I think it’s clear that the people behind Five Pawns are savvy at business. If anyone can succeed, they can.

Recommended for You

My name is Bill. I’ve been a dedicated vaper for five and a half years, having ended a 35-year addiction to tobacco cold-turkey on my first day of vaping. I live on the Oregon coast, in the tiny town of Florence, one huge sand dune away from the Pacific Ocean.

Yes, this is an important issue in vaping, one that’s gaining traction quickly. Voluntary disclosure and lab testing of ingredients in eliquid flavorings is clearly an increasing trend. If those become legal requirements, the retail juice market could be substantially reduced, but it may come to that.

I have no doubt that removal of diketones and other potentially harmful chemicals from eliquid flavorings will be a growing debate over the coming year, and perhaps more so in the years ahead as testing data gives us a better handle on what’s safe to vape and what’s not safe. Medical research concerning vapers’ health are in their infancy, of course. Comprehensive studies will take many years to substantiate. For now, each vaper is solely responsible for his/her personal health.

Although I can’t state this as fact, I’ve been told that FivePawns has already changed some of their eliquid formulations to reduce the diketones. From my own reading of the lab reports provided with the package I received from 5P, all their liquids are now diacetyl-free, but they continue to use flavorings that contain acetylpropionyl, which is also suspect.

Gordon Taylor

I think at that price would have to see a better review than this before i would take a gamble, Had some Awesome juice at way less

Bill Herbst

Gordon,

Whether or not FivePawns’ juice is good enough to justify the retail price has been at the heart of the vaping community’s discussions/debates about this particular eliquid manufacturer/vendor ever since FivePawns first appeared in the marketplace.

I’m a DIY guy who sub-ohms, so I go through juice like crazy. For me personally, I balk at paying 15¢/ml for retail eliquids, much less 50¢/ml and higher. The boutique artisan juices are often very, very good, but they’re simply out of my price range. On the other hand, read any vaping forum thread about FivePawns, and you’ll see many, many posts by vapers who swear by 5P juices and feel their price to be well-justified.

In my review, I tried to factor out the price and focus entirely on how tasty and well-made the juices seemed to me personally. I understand, however, that in real life price is always a factor to be considered.

The great thing is that we get to vote with our wallets. Bargain juices, boutique juices, DIY juices—each of us makes our own individual decisions.

Gordon Taylor

Oh in my line of work i’m on a very tight budget and although i’v not been vaping long (only vaping fully without cig’s) some two month’s, I’m already feeling a huge difference health wise. even in such a short time i’v had some real bad juice. And Because of that will save and pay that little extra if that’s what i have to do to get the quality. Without doing that i would find it hard to continue and that is not something i would not like to contemplate. Not everyone has access to buy or access the online discount’s so have to pay mostly full retail so you rely on reviews to make a more informed choice. have tried the DIY route with only very limited success but not given up yet but still enjoy the chance now and then to try something good.

Bill Herbst

I understand. Life is too short to vape bad juice, especially when you’re trying to quit smoking. And no, DIY is not for everyone. Happily, the retail juice market is full of wonderful juices in every price range. Great tasting eliquid is definitely worth paying for.

When basing buying decisions on juice reviews, it’s important to know your own palate well and be reasonably certain that the reviewer’s tastes parallel your own. Same with recommendations from vaping friends.

The very best way to find juices you’ll like is when you can vape some before buying. That’s not always possible, of course, but when you can do that, it’s easy.